The vision of the Faith Community Network and Volunteer Chaplaincy Services program is to provide a full range of programs and services that will turn around the lives of troubled youth and ensure that voluntary chaplaincy services are available to youth and their families during times of family crisis.

The Foundation serves to changes lives - the lives of students, their parents, and the citizens in our community - by promoting delinquency prevention, intervention and educational opportunities for youth.

May 22, 2013 (PENSACOLA, FL) – The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) announces that the contract for the Pensacola-based residential program, formerly known as Pensacola Boys Base, has been awarded to AMIkids.

DJJ Secretary Wansley Walters said, “Pensacola Boys Base has a longstanding reputation for helping troubled young men realize their potential and molding them into upstanding Floridians who go on to contribute greatly to their families and communities. When I was in Pensacola earlier this year, I visited the Pensacola Boys Base, and I was very impressed by the confidence, composure and drive of the youth I encountered. The gentlemen eagerly told me about their studies and their dreams for the future, which I believe is a testament to the dedicated staff.”

Escambia County School District provides educational services for the youth. During Fiscal Year 2012 – 2013, 19 youth earned general education development (GED) diplomas, which affords the youth more opportunities for employment and/or continued education. Four attended Pensacola State College, earning a total of 60 college credits.

The school district also offers youth a chance to participate in career readiness activities through Florida Ready to Work, a program that leaves the youth with a Florida Ready to Work Credential, which serves as proof to potential employers that they have the skills to get the job done. In the current fiscal year, 25 youth earned Florida Ready to Work credentials.

Walters added, “In addition to their academic success, the facility’s staff and youth are known as beacons of community service for the Pensacola area. AMIkids has established that volunteerism is a core component of their model, implementing unique and meaningful projects that benefit both the kids and the local community. Because of that rich history of service, I am confident the Pensacola Boys Base’s community efforts will continue to flourish.”

Pensacola Boys Base has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build 71 homes for needy families in the Pensacola area. They’ve also coordinated with Relay For Life of Pensacola for the last 14 years, providing assistance throughout the weekend. Just this month, they partnered with international hunger-relief organization, Feed The Children, to distribute food and personal care items to 400 families in the Pensacola area. Each family received a 25-pound box of food, a box of personal care items, and shelf-stable Feed The Children cereal.

AMIkids President and CEO O.B. Stander said, “We are excited about this opportunity to touch the lives of these teens in need of direction. Over the past 44 years, AMIkids has helped more than 110,000 kids transform their lives. We deliver programming that inspires learning, leadership and personal growth; programming that empowers kids to make the positive decisions that will ultimately shape their futures. We are proud of our partnerships with both the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and Escambia County School District and look forward to beginning work at the Boys Base.”

AMIkids will assume operations of the program to be known Escambia Boys Base on June 1, 2013. AMIkids Pensacola has served the Escambia Bay community with a day treatment program since 1991.